AJOB Empirical Bioethics

VOL. 8 No. 4 | December 2017

05/29/2014

In this 17-minute TEDx video, Phyllis Shacter talks compellingly about her husband’s decision to voluntarily stop eating and drinking (VSED) to avoid living in the late stages of Alzheimer’s.

I have written (here and here) to help dispel myths and perceived legal obstacles to VSED. But the bigger hindrance is ignorance of the option. Hopefully, with more stories like Phyllis’ (see, for example, here, here, here, here, here, and here), VSED will be better recognized as a peaceful, comfortable means to hasten death.